This invention relates generally to medical monitoring devices. More particularly the present invention is a system and method for monitoring physiologic variables of an individual in a wireless mode over the Internet.
Monitoring devices of various types to monitor patient physiologic conditions have long been in the medical community. A plethora of testing and monitoring equipment have moved out of the hospital into the doctors"" offices and, in some cases have even progressed into home monitoring systems.
While these devices have clearly been extremely useful, many of these devices require that a patient be located at home, or in close proximity to a telephone system such that results of the monitoring can be transmitted over the public switch telephone network (PSTN) to some form of analysis center. Such devices do not necessarily lend themselves to the mobile life style in which many individuals find themselves.
For example, it is difficult for a busy person to stop in the middle of the day, proceed to a monitoring station, whether it be a home or in some office, take the appropriate measurements, is and then proceed with the business of the day. This is simply not possible and adds a level of stress to the already stressful situation of having to monitor physiologic signals.
What would be truly useful is a system for monitoring physiologic characteristics of an individual on a mobile basis. Such a system would require little if any interaction with a monitoring device. Signals that are collected would then be sent in an automated fashion to an analysis center or a physician""s office. Alternatively a physician could interrogate the system worn by a patient while the patient is mobile to obtain the physiologic signals of interest.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to remotely monitor physiologic variables from any patient.
It is a further objective of the present invention to monitor physiologic variables of a patient whether the patient is ambulatory or stationary when the physician is remote from the patient.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to monitor physiologic variables using the Internet.
It is a further objective of the present invention to monitor physiologic variables in a wireless manner within a generalized geographic area.
It is further objective of the present invention to monitor physiologic variables without the patient having to proceed to any centralized location in a geographic area.
It is further objective of the present invention to monitor a patient anywhere in the coverage map of a cellular or satellite based telephone network.
It is further objective of the present invention to have data relating to physiologic variables automatically sent over a wireless network to a physician or other medical caregiver.
It is further objective of the present invention to allow a physician to interrogate the physiologic monitoring device in a wireless fashion whenever the physician needs to take such physiologic measurements.
It is further objective of the present invention to provide to a voice communications in a wireless mode to a medical caregiver.
It is further objective of the present invention to have a xe2x80x9cpanicxe2x80x9d function which allows both a user to send a xe2x80x9cpanicxe2x80x9d message to a physician or allow a physician, after monitoring physiologic signals, to send a voice xe2x80x9cadvicexe2x80x9d message to the patient.
It is further objective of the present invention to accomplish all the above objectives using a device that is worn by the patient in a relatively unobtrusive fashion.
These and other objectives of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the specification that follows.
The present invention is a wireless Internet bio-telemetry monitoring system (WIBMS). The system makes use of a variety of bio-sensors which are generally used to detect signals or variables from the human body. One such sensor system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,692 whose characteristics are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, wherein a single site, multi-variable patient monitoring apparatus for monitoring multiple physiological variables of a patient at a single site on the patient is disclosed for ambulatory monitoring, home monitoring, procedure monitoring and similar situations. The apparatus has an infrared (IR) temperature sensor, a pulse oximeter sensor and a communication circuit for outputting information produced from the pulse oximeter and information produced from the infrared temperature measuring device. These elements are integrally placed within a mold or plug made to fit the ear of the patient. However, this particular sensor is not meant as a limitation. Literally any type of bio-sensor generally known to those skilled in the art will find use in the present invention. Further the sensor of U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,692 can further be modified to include a microphone so that voice of the patient can be transmitted using the system of the present invention.
The bio-sensors are connected to a combination data acquisition module and wireless transceiver which is worn by the patient. This combination sensor package and communication unit is known as the multi-variable patient monitor, or MVPM. The MVPM is battery powered. The batteries that power the MVPM can be single use batteries or rechargeable batteries. Further, when the individual is in a mobile state, the batteries of the MVPM can be recharged by plugging into a car or into normal wall current. This allows the individual to constantly keep batteries charged in the MVPM whether the individual is mobile or in an office.
As noted above, the MVPM is a combination patient-worn device which allows maximum mobility to the particular patient.
The MVPM has the ability, on a periodic basis, to interrogate bio-sensors worn by the patient and to store physiologic signals from the bio sensors. On a periodic basic, the MVPM calls into a wireless network and transmits the bio-sensor information to the wireless network. The bio-sensor information then proceeds from the wireless network to the Internet and then to an analysis center or a data warehouse which receives and stores the information for subsequent analysis.
The MVPM also comprises an emergency xe2x80x9cpanicxe2x80x9d button whereby a patient can direct the transceiver portion of the MVPM to automatically call 911 in the event of a medical emergency.
As noted above, the MVPM is connected to various bio-sensors. Therefore the MVPM has sensor condition detection circuitry, connected to a lamp, which allows a user to determine that all sensors are operating correctly. When a senor receives a particular signal which is out of the normal physiologic range for the particular patient, an alarm sound and light are actuated such that the individual can understand that a significant medical event is occurring. Simultaneously with such an alarm, a time-tagged signal is sent to the medical care provider notifying the provider of the event.
Thus, when the MVPM is functioning in a data acquisition mode, it receives information from the sensors, performs some limited analysis on that information and has the ability to notify the patient of any non-standard conditions.
When the MVPM periodically sends stored signals from the bio sensor over the network a unique identifier is associated with any such data that is sent such that the data can be directly associated with a particular patient.
Once data are received at the server, the data are stored with appropriate privacy and security issues dealt with in a manner known to those skilled in the art.
The MVPM also comprises circuitry for self testing its various sub systems and sensors and for communicating any trouble shooting information directly to the patient in the event that the sensor becomes dislodged or non-functional. Further, such trouble shooting data can also be sent in a wireless mode to the central server such that trouble shooting can take place remotely, or in the alternative, a new MVPM unit can be sent to the patient.
The MVPM also can be preset before giving it to a patient. In addition, and depending upon the biological signals being monitored, alarms can be set remotely by the health care provider over the internet and subsequently via the wireless network and can be based upon the caregiver""s knowledge of the condition of the patient. Such remote setting also occurs via the two way communication of the transceiver portion of the MVPM.
Communication rates of the WIBMS are optimized to fit common cellular calling and rate plans and to minimize the cost and air time usage.
Using the WIBMS the following types of monitoring can take place:
digitally sampled electrocardiogram
patient body temperature
pulse oximetry
pulse rate
other physiologic variables, such as blood glucose, respiration, etc.
various pre set alarm conditions or physiologic variables
event occurrences per patient action/input.
As also noted above the MVPM has bi-directional communication capability and has the capability to transmit a xe2x80x9cpanicxe2x80x9d signal over wireless network, to initate 911 calls, to allow a patient-initiated voice calling over a cellular telephone link, and to allow medical provider voice calling to the patient over a cellular telephone link.
Other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art by review of the detailed description of the invention that follows.